Steven J. Gross
Well-Known Member
Mine is "Without Her", "This Guy's In Love With You" being a close second..What say ya'lls?
What's Your Fave Herb Alpert Vocal?
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Steven J. Gross
Well-Known Member
Harry said:
Very interesting Harry..
Captaindave
Well-Known Member
Well, apparently the favorite of the general public was "This Guy's In Love With You." I would say this was the "definitive" vocal from Herb - his first and most enduring over time. I also have a hard time seeing other vocal efforts anywhere near that song in general. So, I guess I'll go with the opinion of millions of others, and say "This Guy's ..."
But, I have always had some amount of fondness for "To Wait For Love." I could do without the big orchestral build up...but, to each his own...
I view Herb as a trumpet player who occasionally sings a song - as part of the diversity and variety every professional showman and entertainer needs to introduce into the act. After many years of Tijuana Brass, and evolution of that sound and style, Herb found a song that would work for him vocally. I do tend to think that vocals can introduce an element of "personal" communication - after all, you actually hear the person's voice and not just the more "anonymous" sound of a horn - although I know that Herb's trumpet sound is unlike any other. I think This Guy's did that somewhat for Herb. But, I also think This Guy's ...was also the right song at the right time. Herb launched the song from an already high point of popularity with the public. To me, that helped make the song into the big hit it was.
But, I have always had some amount of fondness for "To Wait For Love." I could do without the big orchestral build up...but, to each his own...
I view Herb as a trumpet player who occasionally sings a song - as part of the diversity and variety every professional showman and entertainer needs to introduce into the act. After many years of Tijuana Brass, and evolution of that sound and style, Herb found a song that would work for him vocally. I do tend to think that vocals can introduce an element of "personal" communication - after all, you actually hear the person's voice and not just the more "anonymous" sound of a horn - although I know that Herb's trumpet sound is unlike any other. I think This Guy's did that somewhat for Herb. But, I also think This Guy's ...was also the right song at the right time. Herb launched the song from an already high point of popularity with the public. To me, that helped make the song into the big hit it was.
Definitely his most enduring, but far from first...
But anyway, I think my favorite Herb vocal is "I Belong" which is at the end of the CONEY ISLAND album. For once he dispenses with the big grand orchestration and it's an unconventional song and arrangement. A perfect album closer in my book, at least.
I might have voted for "This Guy," but I've heard it so many times now that it's not as much of a "treat" when it comes on. I've even been know to -- yikes! -- skip over it from time to time. I still like the song a lot of course, and it's true that all the stars aligned for Herb at that time. Right song, right singer, right arrangment, right environment. Everything clicked.
But "I Belong" is one of those rare songs that when it ends I wouldn't mind hearing it again.
Dave
Well-Known Member
"I Belong" is pretty catchy to me, too... There's definitely something about it to call my "#1"... I'd like to say that "This Guy's In Love..." is my 2nd favorite and it sure edges out other singers' interpretations...
"Without Her" can get bombastic with the alternating between the orchestrations and Herb's vocal and trumpet blowing, but a good "3rd Place" as in light of his divorce from Sharon, it really reaches the heart of listener with its very deep and emotional feel...
Should "Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da" and "Talk To The Animals" at least rank as the best Tijuana Brass vocals? Seems as though those two deserve notoriety as a good ensemble that gives a little voice to the otherwise mostly instrumental nature of Herb's band...
"To Wait For Love" works as a good prelude to "Sandbox" and was worth getting the slightly different version as a Single... Surely a glimmer of hope of trying to top "This Guy's In Love..." with yet more of the "bittersweet orchestral bombast" of "Without Her", though this time with another Bacharach/David-written number which although not as successful, was at least as novel...
From Lost Treasures "Close To You" stands out as a fave, and sounds as though it were an inspiration for a Spike Jones-like parody of, "Close To ME" available as a very obscure '45' on the Three Brothers label recorded by an anonymous studio group-trio, The Clams... Though seeing as how Alpert's version had sat around unheard, any resemblance or similarity between the two had to have been coincidental...
Dave
"Without Her" can get bombastic with the alternating between the orchestrations and Herb's vocal and trumpet blowing, but a good "3rd Place" as in light of his divorce from Sharon, it really reaches the heart of listener with its very deep and emotional feel...
Should "Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da" and "Talk To The Animals" at least rank as the best Tijuana Brass vocals? Seems as though those two deserve notoriety as a good ensemble that gives a little voice to the otherwise mostly instrumental nature of Herb's band...
"To Wait For Love" works as a good prelude to "Sandbox" and was worth getting the slightly different version as a Single... Surely a glimmer of hope of trying to top "This Guy's In Love..." with yet more of the "bittersweet orchestral bombast" of "Without Her", though this time with another Bacharach/David-written number which although not as successful, was at least as novel...
From Lost Treasures "Close To You" stands out as a fave, and sounds as though it were an inspiration for a Spike Jones-like parody of, "Close To ME" available as a very obscure '45' on the Three Brothers label recorded by an anonymous studio group-trio, The Clams... Though seeing as how Alpert's version had sat around unheard, any resemblance or similarity between the two had to have been coincidental...
Dave
I have to dismiss "Mame" and "Hello Dolly." They shouldn't really count.
Like HArry, I'm partial to all the "Dore" single cuts whether they are the RCA or Carnival/A&M cuts.
As for those under his own name... Clearly "This Guy..." was the right tune at the right time. But, naturally, I can only listen to it so many times in a given month.
So to pick another... "I Belong" I had hoped would pick up AC or AOR steam and thus the TJB would've survived for another LP... So I vote for "I Belong."
I prefer "To Wait For Love" over "Without Her" only because "WH" got me grounded for playing my stereo too loud as a 14-year-old because I turned it up to see if I could hear what was being sung, only to get slammed by the loud instrumental passages. Thanks, Herb, for keeping me from going out woth my friends and likely heading into a life of mari-juu-wanna abuse!
Of the later LPs, I like "No Time For Time" because I was in film school at the time and literally had no time for time (or even time for wiping my ass) at that time...
--Mr. Bill
Like HArry, I'm partial to all the "Dore" single cuts whether they are the RCA or Carnival/A&M cuts.
As for those under his own name... Clearly "This Guy..." was the right tune at the right time. But, naturally, I can only listen to it so many times in a given month.
So to pick another... "I Belong" I had hoped would pick up AC or AOR steam and thus the TJB would've survived for another LP... So I vote for "I Belong."
I prefer "To Wait For Love" over "Without Her" only because "WH" got me grounded for playing my stereo too loud as a 14-year-old because I turned it up to see if I could hear what was being sung, only to get slammed by the loud instrumental passages. Thanks, Herb, for keeping me from going out woth my friends and likely heading into a life of mari-juu-wanna abuse!
Of the later LPs, I like "No Time For Time" because I was in film school at the time and literally had no time for time (or even time for wiping my ass) at that time...
--Mr. Bill
It has to be This Guy. To be honest, nothing else I heard vocally from Herb was really up to par. In fact some of his songs were (no affront intended) embarrassingly off key; I simply could not listen to them. One example is his superb rendition of Someone to Watch over Me (Midnight Sun?) In my humble opinion his performance on trumpet is first-class. But his vocals take it down a notch. I truly think had it been sung by a female vocalist, it could have charted. But what do I know?
DAN BOLTON
Well-Known Member
When it comes to Herb's vocals, some were better than others IMO. He's definitely NOT a trained vocalist; and this works better in some genres than in others. It seems to me that he has a little difficulty enunciating sometimes...for example, when he sings YOU ARE MY LIFE, the line "...either late August or early September..." he almost runs out of breath when he sings the word "September". He does much better with the rest of the song; but that one line sounds almost tortured to me. I love the song, but I cringe when I hear that line...
His voice is rather thin, for lack of a better word; and at times you can hear him working to get the notes out...this can work for him if the song has an emotional context that supports honesty over technique. TGILWY was that type of song, so was WITHOUT HER and TO WAIT FOR LOVE. CLOSE TO YOU kind of is, but the melody line has some areas that require a little "lung power" to really sell the peaks that coincide with lines like "...that is WHY...all the boys in TOWN...follow YOU...all AROUND...". It's just one "punch " after another. Herb's version doesn't emphasize these peaks in the melody like Karen Carpenter did, but they're still there. The song doesn't really work quite as well with the bouncy feel that Herb tries to give it as it does as a slower ballad treatment ala the Carpenters.
Herb seems to do better with uptempo songs that don't require him to sustain notes. He was clearly much more accomplished as a vocalist in his earlier days...and performances like TELL IT TO THE BIRDS, FALLOUT SHELTER, YOU'RE DOING IT and DREAMLAND are really gems that really suit his voice.
AS for his later vocal efforts, I agree that I BELONG is one of his best. He sounds a little vulnerable, maybe even a little insecure, but also believeable; honest, if you will. I also like QUIEREME TAL COMO SOY from FANDANGO. THE CHRISTMAS SONG is another example of his honesty...he sounds like a dad singing to his little boy or girl, trying to get them to go to sleep on Christmas Eve.
Maybe the word I'm looking for is "warmth"...Yeah, I guess that sums it up...maybe "tenderness" , too...some songs work with this treatment, and others don't...I never could stomach JUST YOU AND ME.
Dan
His voice is rather thin, for lack of a better word; and at times you can hear him working to get the notes out...this can work for him if the song has an emotional context that supports honesty over technique. TGILWY was that type of song, so was WITHOUT HER and TO WAIT FOR LOVE. CLOSE TO YOU kind of is, but the melody line has some areas that require a little "lung power" to really sell the peaks that coincide with lines like "...that is WHY...all the boys in TOWN...follow YOU...all AROUND...". It's just one "punch " after another. Herb's version doesn't emphasize these peaks in the melody like Karen Carpenter did, but they're still there. The song doesn't really work quite as well with the bouncy feel that Herb tries to give it as it does as a slower ballad treatment ala the Carpenters.
Herb seems to do better with uptempo songs that don't require him to sustain notes. He was clearly much more accomplished as a vocalist in his earlier days...and performances like TELL IT TO THE BIRDS, FALLOUT SHELTER, YOU'RE DOING IT and DREAMLAND are really gems that really suit his voice.
AS for his later vocal efforts, I agree that I BELONG is one of his best. He sounds a little vulnerable, maybe even a little insecure, but also believeable; honest, if you will. I also like QUIEREME TAL COMO SOY from FANDANGO. THE CHRISTMAS SONG is another example of his honesty...he sounds like a dad singing to his little boy or girl, trying to get them to go to sleep on Christmas Eve.
Maybe the word I'm looking for is "warmth"...Yeah, I guess that sums it up...maybe "tenderness" , too...some songs work with this treatment, and others don't...I never could stomach JUST YOU AND ME.
Dan
Nathan Strum
Well-Known Member
I don't have all the TJB LPs (I know... blasphemy. Blame Shout Factory...) but of the ones I have, I'd have to put "The Christmas Song" at the top. It's one of those songs I look forward to hearing every year at Christmas time, and it literally "helps to make the season bright".
Otherwise, it'd be "Someone To Watch Over Me".
Otherwise, it'd be "Someone To Watch Over Me".
Captain Bacardi
Well-Known Member
Not a fan of Herb's singing at all, but I do have a bit of fondness for "The You In Me". Not sure why, though.
Capt. Bacardi
Capt. Bacardi
My top three: "This Guy", "Quierme Tal Como Soy" (probably spelled it wrong) and "Xmas Song". Never tire of "This Guy" but, then again, I hear it maybe once every month or two on XM. (Disclaimer: you don't hear Herb on the Led Zep channel, which is my current fave. 
)
)
toeknee4bz
Well-Known Member
All biases aside. I judge a song by more than just the lead performance, whether it was a hit or not, etc. ... I take into consideration how many times I find myself playing the song over the years... real scientific, eh. [cynacism galore ]
Seriously, though. My all-time favorite Herb Alpert vocal is, ironically, from one of his weaker albums. "No Time For Time" from WILD ROMANCE. I don't expect anyone to agree with this, and that's ok. I understand the generation gap.
"Noche De Amor" (from the title album), and "Quiereme Tal Como Soy" (from FANDANGO) would be a close race for second place, followed by "I Get It From You" (from MAGIC MAN). His voice really works well in Spanish.
I also liked the duets with Lani on "Pillow" (from KEEP YOUR EYE ON ME), as well as the beautiful "Come What May" (from Lani's album BLUSH).
Sorry, but Herb's earlier vocal works, for the most part, were just too wimpy for me. Yes, I know that "This Guy..." was a huge (monster) hit back in the day. Although I do enjoy "Save The Sunlight" (from YOU SMILE) for inexplicable reasons, as well as the rather weird-yet-wonderful interpretation of "Summertime" (from the title album). But I just can't stand "Without Her" (from WARM) due to the drastic volume changes jarring my nerves every time the screaming, blaring orchestra kicks in... And "I Belong" (from CONEY ISLAND) was about the wimpiest thing he ever recorded vocally. His vocal on "The Christmas Song" was ok, but the sissy-fied choir backing him up completely ruins the track. I never got into the whole choir thing. (People in my church need to read this...) I just know somebody out there is going to say "Heresy!!! He spake negatively about the great Shorty Rogers!
Don't get me wrong. I'm not one of those "macho" guys who thinks everything has to hit you in the head to be enjoyable. But with the '80s songs, the sound was a bit stronger, which made Herb's voice somewhat [for lack of better words] "tougher". It's difficult to accurately describe Herb's singing per se, since he's admittedly not a trained vocalist. However, the heavier bass tracks, added with more elaborate percussion, in a more upbeat atmosphere, gave him the needed boost. And this is what makes me find "No Time For Time", a polished ballad, so enjoyable.
Tony
]Seriously, though. My all-time favorite Herb Alpert vocal is, ironically, from one of his weaker albums. "No Time For Time" from WILD ROMANCE. I don't expect anyone to agree with this, and that's ok. I understand the generation gap.
"Noche De Amor" (from the title album), and "Quiereme Tal Como Soy" (from FANDANGO) would be a close race for second place, followed by "I Get It From You" (from MAGIC MAN). His voice really works well in Spanish.
I also liked the duets with Lani on "Pillow" (from KEEP YOUR EYE ON ME), as well as the beautiful "Come What May" (from Lani's album BLUSH).
Sorry, but Herb's earlier vocal works, for the most part, were just too wimpy for me. Yes, I know that "This Guy..." was a huge (monster) hit back in the day. Although I do enjoy "Save The Sunlight" (from YOU SMILE) for inexplicable reasons, as well as the rather weird-yet-wonderful interpretation of "Summertime" (from the title album). But I just can't stand "Without Her" (from WARM) due to the drastic volume changes jarring my nerves every time the screaming, blaring orchestra kicks in... And "I Belong" (from CONEY ISLAND) was about the wimpiest thing he ever recorded vocally. His vocal on "The Christmas Song" was ok, but the sissy-fied choir backing him up completely ruins the track. I never got into the whole choir thing. (People in my church need to read this...) I just know somebody out there is going to say "Heresy!!! He spake negatively about the great Shorty Rogers!
Don't get me wrong. I'm not one of those "macho" guys who thinks everything has to hit you in the head to be enjoyable. But with the '80s songs, the sound was a bit stronger, which made Herb's voice somewhat [for lack of better words] "tougher". It's difficult to accurately describe Herb's singing per se, since he's admittedly not a trained vocalist. However, the heavier bass tracks, added with more elaborate percussion, in a more upbeat atmosphere, gave him the needed boost. And this is what makes me find "No Time For Time", a polished ballad, so enjoyable.
Tony
"No Time For Time" is OK but to me, the whole backing of it sounds too "big" for the voice that's in front of it. I think Herb sounds better with a simpler backing, which is why "The Christmas Song" and "I Belong" work so well for me. (Yes I know "This Guy" breaks that rule, but everything just dropped into place on that one.) I didn't really consider "Save the Sunlight" in my fave picks because it's a duet vocal, not strictly a Herb vocal...but it would be right up there at the top of my list too, for the same reason.
There are always exceptions to everything though -- a Herb vocal with a bombastic arrangement that works for me is "All In All" from the Michel Colombier WINGS album. I really enjoy that one.
There are always exceptions to everything though -- a Herb vocal with a bombastic arrangement that works for me is "All In All" from the Michel Colombier WINGS album. I really enjoy that one.
JORGEEUGENIODESETA
New Member
I like "Save the Sun Light" with Lani. And of course This guy is in love with you.-
Merry Cristmas to all de people in the forum !!!!!
Merry Cristmas to all de people in the forum !!!!!
gameenjoyer
Member
In all honesty, I don't really like any of the vocal numbers too much. I almost always skip over "This Guy's In Love With You" when I listen to a CD that has it. "Without Her" is slightly better though, so, if I had to pick one of the two (those two and the abysmal "Love Is" being the only ones I've heard, I'd pick "Without Her".
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